§ Kits, Cats, Tales, and True....

It's been a while since last I blogged. The term is busy. Most days it's been filled with wonderful weather that I just do not want to be indoors. Altho, after our outings, I tend to sit down in the sun streaked dining room, at the dining room table, and color while winding down from our birding adventures. [one shown I tried to make it like the old Dutch 'delft' color shades] Today, clear skies tell me we're going to go to a birding hot spot [with reported 'excellent' birding opportunities on American Birding Association Texas' site] up north of Corpus about an hour from home. We plan to spend the entire morning there, walking along the river banks and the park. It will be a new area to explore. And the birds seen the last week or two include a lot of 'new' species I haven't had the chance to photograph. Wish me luck. A couple of days since I blogged, Bud and I have been trimming bushes/trees/plants in the yard!!

There have been several articles online that I have read as I wait for Bud to get up and get ready to 'face the day'. Some very interesting ones at that.

One: about the climate change. Now, I tend to disbelieve a lot of the hype about the actions of us humans creating the extremes, and this piece of work kinda explains just what I have thought/felt about it all. The very last paragraph, quoted by scientists who have studied the effects of the change....all summed up to what I've been thinking all along!

The Earth naturally cycles between cool glacial periods and warmer interglacial periods because of variations in its orbit around the sun. We currently are in an interglacial period, called the Holocene epoch, which began nearly 12,000 years ago.

For some thought... the highrise buildings within large cities do cause extreme heat to rise and create the extreme temps. It is the glass windows on the mufti-storied buildings around the world that reflect the sunlight and in turn the heat rays go back into the atmosphere...think:  Sunlight through a magnifying glass...what happens?. With, the natural climate change of earth revolving around the sun 'as the world turns'...this is probably not helping, but it's NOT the main reason. In other words, tho human-created in only PART, this 'heating up' is a natural occurrence, we are just living/witnessing the time of the interglacial period.

Two: Remember back in 'my day' learning meant to go to the school library or if your family was lucky enough to have them at home, we'd use encyclopedias? Like Britanica or other complete sets? With the internet, the learning processes now take us to Wikipedia....which is 15 years old this year!! The fun reading is a question asked "What does Wikipedia Mean to You?". So many have responded....and so many reflect our very own thoughts. Read some here.

Three: So I won't get carried away, the planets are lined up in the dawn sky this month! I woke up at dark-o-thirty on purpose this morning  And as I stated above, in hopes of having a clear sky... It was perfect.  So I traipsed outdoors in the dark just now and the planets are lined up east to west in the pre-dawn hour!  Amazing!! [note: this is not my photo! No copyright infringement intended]

image courtesy of Google Image search

Four: Latest news about my favorite TV program, NCIS....Tony [Michael Weatherly] is not going to return next season!!  After 13 years as Special Agent Tony DiNozzo, he chose to leave us.  How will they write his character out, y'wonder?  My mind is racing.  lol   A sad day in bedrock, tho.

Five:  Some photo shares for memes this latter part of the week....fences, critters and photo hunt [cat].





My pretty kitti....tahoe, while sleeping. But pay attention to the LAST photo. She, was becoming a bit disturbed at my interfering with her naptime, and tried to flip me off!!!!

§ Blue Skies, Smilin' at Me...

To begin, this is one of my favorite recent photos. The clear blue sky dappled with white clouds...all reflected on the pond:

It seems ages since I've been posting for Hootin' Anni's. I'm here today to report on what I've been doing the past week or two since last I published anything of significance. I'm still slowly working on a row or two a day on my sugar skull afghan....and by now, I seriously have doubt I'll finish it by Day of the Dead [Día de Muertos] -November 1st/2nd. Where I live, in south Texas with Old Mexico at our back door, there is a huge Mexican influence across the border in USA and our towns along the coast and other border states. And, besides, I really like the whole concept of celebrating the life of those that left us behind.

Then of course, there is Halloween. My favorite time of year for decorating. Yes, I like to decorate for Christmas too, but Halloween is time for fun, spooky, and downright witchiness. This year, the decorations are a bit scant around Anni's abode. I put out a partial amount of my witch collection, added some webbing and so far that is about all. I think I'll call it good. I did buy, from the dollar store, four solar pumpkin/jack-o-lantern outdoor stakes. But, I bought them with the intention of using them as 'candlesticks'. I don't know about you with your taper candle purchases, but most times with me, I find I need to either light the candles letting the wax drip in the candle holder or use some stuffing to make the candles sturdy and snug/tight. So, this time 'round I thought I'd use the webbing and add the solar lights for candles. Here is the result of two on our dining room table. No waxy mess to clean up, the lights remain illuminated without fire hazard all night...it's a win/win idea in my opinion. And a 'holiday' festive touch without any worries or no big cost breaker on any budget!!!

For birding trips, we've taken a couple of day trips while I've also taken several times-out to drive to the islands while Bud stayed home and did yard work, trimming, weeding, etc. As my bird photo blog title states "I'd Rather B Birdin'". And Bud knows that. So, he's content with letting me take some quiet time by myself and enjoy the outdoors in search for a migratory bird here and there. On my solo treks I've spotted a lot of warblers which always pleases me; they're so colorful!! And I always focus on birds perched on or near fences for Ms. T's Good Fences:


[top left to right] hummingbird, warbler, green heron, inca dove



The two birding trips we took together were 1] The Celebration of Flight in Calallen Texas!   While there, seeing hawks, owls and other birds of prey along with passerines, a family of javelinas shared the bird lime-light!!!  Not only a family of javelinas, but a baby as well!!! 

And,  2] was a day driving to Falfurrias Texas...seeing and getting photos of some wintering birds heading south such as the Western Tanager and others I posted photos of on my bird photo blog....here. They're very pretty, and unique birds. You don't know what you're missing unless you click on the link!!

In the interim of decorating, yard work, birding, and crocheting, I've also been working on eight more photos of different 'new' birds I've photographed and readying them for a new addition in a frame of eight...for my dining room collage walls.  I also bought the frame...ordered the prints online and will make a short drive to town to pick the photos up and place them in the appropriate sections and then get the frame mounted on the wall of my bird sanctuary room. Speaking of room...I'm running out of wall space. LOL

I've also been contemplating the master bedroom make-over.  So far, new curtains and a bed spread/comforter combo has been purchased.  Now it's to have a matching paint mixed for me and tearing off the wallpaper in the master bath to begin that project.  I'm waiting patiently for cooler weather so I can have the bedroom windows open for ventilation.  When will that be y'wonder?  Cooler air?  Only cool air is between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m.....after that it's climbing into the 80s real quick.  Sometimes still 90s. The humidity is finally dropping by leaps and bounds, but the warm air in the afternoon remains. At least it's a bit more tolerable.

§ Some of the Marvelous...

Aristotle once said: "In All Things of Nature There is Something of the Marvelous"

Today, just a bit of eclectic images from around town. From a beautiful sunrise to fog settling in on the city's North Bay. Perhaps you may agree that all things in nature are marvelous. The tempest, the beauty, the extreme, the simple, the hues, the serene...you name it. For each, there is a purpose---

SUNRISE FROM OUR YARD

Fog Drifting into the North Shore

Mama Cardinal

Parasite - Mistletoe in Bloom

Marigolds by a Tree Stump

Fungus Taking on the 'Look' of Bark

Papa Cardinal

Orange Crowned Warbler

Golden Fronted Woodpecker

Brown - Green Anoles on a Park Fence

Then, some eclectic thoughts for the day:
each tidbit is linked for the full coverage story...

Did you know that the NFL [National Football League] is TAX EXEMPT? Ya, that threw me for a loop too. But, I had to go out to Google to clarify this for myself. I was flabbergasted to read the tax exempt when I knew all too well that the teams rake in billions of dollars each year. How can an outfit like this that makes a profit be free of paying taxes when we common folk are taxed to death? Okay...thing is, the NFL has been tax exempt since 1942!! But it isn't the individual franchises....the teams...it only pertains to the promoting offices of the league...the office only, which is considered a non-profit organization. Still, it was a mind boggler!!

Speaking of mind boggling!!---Did you know this piece of gossip? Bruce Jenner, transitioning into a woman?  I guess, to each his own.  Or IOW - different strokes for different folks!! Okay, okay....I can't help myself...forgive me, but, I gotta state this thought that's been swirling in my brain: "From Bruce Jenner to Jenny Bruce"...kinda a nice ring to it don't you think? [No offense Jenny! errr, um, Bruce?] Whatever. As long as he/she is happy. Another whatever!!!!

Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman - I'm nearly finished with the book. It's very good. While reading this piece of work, I find myself reminded of two books actually. There is a flair of Jean Auel's Clan of the Cave Bear and Ken Follet's Pillars of the Earth. I'm anxious to come to the conclusion. Even tho it's based of a factual event in Biblical times, and historians know the outcome, this book will leave the reader with either an urge to check the real history of the event, or be a bit naive with the fictional version Ms. Hoffman created. I do recommend the book. I do look forward to the mini series that will be aired in March on CBS. But, I can't give it a five star rating. All because it's a work of fiction and doubts will linger as to the research she supposedly did for the final [published] draft.

A holiday tradition [ya, I know it's nearing Valentine's Day but...] in a local Houston Starbucks that my son frequents daily for coffee and chit-chat.  He has been a donor AND a recipient of a gift of a charitable car rental when his own car was totaled...so he could get to classes where he teaches, then by the week's end he could get his own car.  It just warms my heart.  And I plan on becoming one who 'pays it forward' this season by sending Erik some cash to donate in his name!!!

Last but not least...this is self explanatory!!!

§ I See the Moon [and a critter]...

...but the critter isn't ON the Moon!!

Honestly, I had a post readied and prescheduled to post at midnight but since I got up early to watch the blood moon eclipse and to try to get some decent photos of the event, I thought I'd share this instead and save my other post for fences and skywatch and critters for some other time. And yes, while out there in the mosquito infested yard, in the dark, I was fumbling around and trying not to stumble over anything...but, I had company!! ['possum on the fence]

I'll share my company first.....

In the 2nd photo, notice how LONG its tail is...from the bottom of its well....bottom, curving down to the left on the fence, and it actually is quite similar in color to the hibiscus branch!!

Well, I got out of bed very early. I had read online that the eclipse was to begin around 5 a.m. EDT. Which meant in my time zone...4 a.m.!! I got out on the patio at 4:15 in the morning and the moon [luck was going my way...it was clear skies!!] was about half covered with our shadow already!

I took several blurry photos. Naturally. But the 'bloodier' it became, the better I could focus on a bit of detailing...

...after about an hour of watching the moon and our shadow covering the entire surface, then, we started to spin away and the shadow was receding as the moon was dropping toward the horizon [the dark line at the bottom of the moon is a power line!]

...around 5:30 a.m. it began getting lighter and the moon was beginning to drop too near the neighborhood homes/rooftops. The color of the moon changed dramatically the later it became....

Around 6:15/6:30 I went back outdoors and stood on one of our patio benches...the moon was still under partial eclipse, but a normal 'white glow' with a faint shadow at the bottom quarter. By that time the moon dropped completely from my view. And the phenomenal occurrence during this blood moon eclipse is....as the moon set in the west, the sun was rising to the east at the same time!!! It's called a selenelion, and it occurs when the sun and moon are 180 degrees apart in the sky at the same time.

Furthermore, we are in a rare series of lunar eclipses. This lunar eclipse is the second of a series of four consecutive total lunar eclipses. The first total lunar eclipse was April 15, 2014, and the next two will be on April 4 and Sept. 28 of next year. This series of total lunar eclipses is rare and the next series of four consecutive total lunar eclipses will not occur until the year 2032.

linking to: Good Fences - Skywatch Friday - Willy Nilly Friday 5 - Camera Critters - Saturday Critters

§ Wild Pink Yonder...

1] Pink/Red Sky in the Morning...

2] Have y'all heard the WEA cell phone emergency alert? We did, again, this past week.  It is like what you hear in old movies with the air raid siren going off? Y'know what I'm talking about, right? Well, the WEA [wireless emergency alert] has been amalgamated within the cellphones of reputable companies and part of the warning signals if necessary by our governments [local and national]. It was raining cats and dogs one day here and just didn't stop. At times, the downpour was very heavy and visibility was nearly nil! Water was collecting in the gutters around our home and the force and amount was flooding the streets and moving up the sidewalks and on to our yards. The WEA rings...then, immediately followed by a text message. Got me to thinking.........ya, it hurt.....but I was wondering just what it sounded like in a big, public, place like the mall where everyone has their phones turned on. Y'know? Or where y'all work...a big company, all phones on the employees desks...and then, all of a sudden, the Alert goes off!!??  We've had an Amber Alert a little over a year ago, but I don't recall our phones 'going off' on an alert tangent like this time.  Guess since I was concerned for our home being flooded;  I paid more attention. And on one of my phone app, we had several days and nights' warnings going off with the high tide coming in and the swells out in the Gulf creating the high tide to be even MORE- flooding the beaches to the DUNES....no camping; and beach access roads closed.

3] England is expecting [more so William and Kate] another royal heir!! News states they have a girl's name picked...Elizabeth Diana Windsor. This has a beautiful ring to it! I like it. Thing is, I hope if it is a girl, they don't call her by a shortened version - Princess Di. That seems a bad thing [not being disrespectful of Diana Spencer, just a bad omen from the past tragedy.] I'm sure tho, that the 2nd heir will be beautiful...look what genes she [he] will have. That Prince George is a doll. His sister or brother will be the same without a doubt.

4] Dragonfly Porn...



5] Mentioning again....I have set up a linking party for your Holiday Home Showcase for Autumn. I will add a link after I post my first one, here, sometime this weekend. All about Spiders and Creepy. It's such a fun time of year for me. If you care to share, or check it out, look just below my blog header. Then, click on the linked graphic.

linking to: Willy Nilly Friday 5 - Skywatch Friday - Camera Critters - Saturday Critters - I ♥ Macro